


Circumnavigation

by kisahawklin



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Community: sga_episodefic, Episode Related, Episode Tag, Episode: s05e07 Whispers, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-09-14
Updated: 2008-09-14
Packaged: 2017-10-24 10:27:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 583
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/262450
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kisahawklin/pseuds/kisahawklin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I don’t have any idea where this came from, but I’m glad it showed up. This one pretty heavily McShep pre-slash. Thanks a million to <a href="http://the-wanlorn.livejournal.com/profile"><img/></a><a href="http://the-wanlorn.livejournal.com/"></a><b>the_wanlorn</b> for a quick beta.</p>
    </blockquote>





	Circumnavigation

**Author's Note:**

> I don’t have any idea where this came from, but I’m glad it showed up. This one pretty heavily McShep pre-slash. Thanks a million to [](http://the-wanlorn.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://the-wanlorn.livejournal.com/)**the_wanlorn** for a quick beta.

John sat with his nose in _War and Peace_ , still on page two hundred and sixty. He did actually read the thing from time to time, but mostly he used it to fend people off while he was trying to think. It never did work on Rodney.

“Colonel?” He asked from the doorway. He hadn’t even bothered to knock. John left his door open most of the time, but he had closed it purposely today, not wanting just anyone to feel like they could stick their head in. Of course, Rodney wasn’t ‘just anyone’ and John was sure he’d be willing to expound on the million reasons why if you asked, but John didn’t need to. He’d been waiting for Rodney to show up since he’d handed in his mission report.

“Hi Rodney,” John said, but didn’t move. Rodney came in, hand-wringing, as usual. John couldn’t help hating Rodney’s ability to force himself to have the unpleasant conversations, but he’d always be grateful with Rodney’s ability to back off when John really needed him to.

“So. Rough mission?” Rodney looked down at his hands, wiping them on his pants and balling them into fists.

“Yep,” John answered. He’d been thrilled to assist Major Teldy and her team when he first arrived on Mistworld. When things when south, though, he kept wishing for Teyla and Ronon and McKay. None of them ever balked at his command, or rolled their eyes at him when they thought his plan was stupid. These were his junior officers, they should have taken his orders blindly, trusted in their CO.

“I’m sorry about Vega,” Rodney said, and John nodded his head.

“Me too.” He felt like he owed her; she pulled Rodney and Lorne out of the rubble at Michael’s compound. Losing Lorne would’ve been tough, but losing Rodney would’ve been… He’d become John’s go-to guy, when John couldn’t be the go-to guy himself. He trusted Rodney to come up with a plan as much as he trusted Ronon to go in guns blazing and Teyla to smooth over ruffled feathers. Losing Rodney would’ve been –

“I wish I had been there,” Rodney said, and John had to look up at the strangled tone of voice. “I’m sure I would have been able to rig something to bring them all back into the cave, and we could’ve blown the whole thing, or –”

“I’m glad you weren’t,” John answered, before he thought about it. It was a complete and utter lie, he’d take McKay over Porter any day. There was an element of truth to it, too, though, and Rodney’s confused half-smile told him he understood the conflicting nature of John’s feelings on the matter. John decided to diffuse the situation with sarcasm. “You would’ve screamed like a little girl.”

“Zombies, huh?” Rodney asked, his grin going sarcastically smirky – something he absolutely picked up from John.

“Well, not exactly,” John said, but he couldn’t help cracking a grin. “Creepy blind fog-breathing monsters, maybe.”

“Uh huh.” Rodney answered, his hands finally relaxed and moving with their normal hyperactive grace. “I was going to go to the mess,” Rodney said, hiking a thumb over his shoulder, “you hungry?”

It was their universal ‘can we stop talking about this now’ signal, and John jumped on it. He had no idea what Rodney’s purpose could’ve been with the whole conversation, but he was just as happy to be done with it and move on to ice cream or brownies.

“Yeah,” John said, “and you’re buying.”


End file.
